On the Move: Mitigating Impacts - A Local Workers’ Perspective

Abstract

Labour mobility presents numerous opportunities and challenges for communities in rural and small town settings. Opportunities exist in terms of filling much needed service and worker demands, while also presenting the possibility for community growth and stability by attracting new residents and businesses. However, the challenges associated with integrating migrant and transient workers into the fabric of community and maintaining consistent service and worker delivery presses the limited capacity available in rural and small town communities. The purpose of this research is to provide an integrative lens through which to view labour - community dynamics within the On the Move: Employment-Related Mobility in the Canadian Context (E-RGM) project in northern BC. This seven year national project about labour mobility is spearheaded by Memorial University, with over 40 researchers from 22 universities (www.onthemovepartnership.ca). In northern BC, our research is premised on a foundation of comparative community/regional research investigating the differences and similarities in preparation for and management of mineral resource activity in two case study communities/regions: Williams Lake and Mackenzie.